An Ethnographic Case Study of Affordances in an Architecture Design Studio

• In Event: Exploring the Affordances of Informal Learning Environments

Abstract

Studio-based courses - the primary approach in design education – have been viewed as effective environments for learning. Previous research has described elements of studio and how it supports learning in design fields, but few studies have utilized an ecological lens to explore how the studio environment creates opportunities for social interaction through immersive studies of studio learning. The purpose of our study was to describe the physical, structural, and pedagogical affordances that contribute to learning in the studio environment. Our findings have implications not only for studio-based learning environments but for teaching and learning pedagogies across all disciplines.

Authors

• Melissa Leigh Rands, Minneapolis College of Art and Design

• Ann Marie Gansemer-Topf, Iowa State University